soothe
基本释义
[verb] gently calm (a person or their feelings)
[动词] 轻轻地平静（某人或其情绪）
深入解读
Soothe 一词与较容易混淆的单词 sooth （真实、实情、实际）同源，都源自于古英语 soð （真的；公正的、正义的）。
在生活中，经常会通过明确肯定某人说的是真的或正确的来对其进行安抚（也可以说是通过唯唯诺诺来安抚人）。从这个概念出发，到了17世纪末英语中开始用 soothe 表示“安慰、抚慰、劝慰”或“使平静、使镇定”，多指以安慰减轻悲痛、愤怒或激动，使人理智地平静下来，常意味着一种平淡、温和的缓解、缓和或安慰，比如：
- 那个脾气暴躁的老妇人搂着一个哭闹的小孩，让其安静了下来。
The grumpy old woman cuddled and soothed a crying baby. - 这刺耳的音乐让她稍微安静了一会儿，却使我头脑发晕。
The strident music soothed her for a while, but made my head swirl.
而到了18世纪初， soothe 又进一步用来表示“减轻、缓和”身体某部位的紧张、疼痛、不适等，使之感到舒服，这也可以用来喻指缓和痛苦、困难等，比如：
- 洗个热水澡，让紧张疲劳的肌肉放松一下。然后坐的时候尽量不要无精打采的。
Take a warm bath to soothe tense, tired muscles. Then try not to slouch when you are sitting down.
好书例句
She felt a little out of place, but the great room soothed her and the view of the well-dressed throng outside seemed a splendid thing.
她稍稍感到有些不自在，但是这大餐厅使她宽心，看看窗外那些服装华丽的人流，也似乎令人振奋。
出自美国现实主义作家西奥多·德莱赛（Theodore Dreiser）创作的长篇小说《嘉莉妹妹》（Sister Carrie）。
外刊例句
- First, scare companies by laying bare where they are failing. Then soothe them with counsel on how to improve.
首先明白地指出企业的不足，吓住它们。然后再提出改进的建议，安抚它们。
——《经济学人》 - Online shopping became a way to soothe daily anxieties, and Ms. Huang sometimes racked up thousands of dollars in Huabei bills, which only made her even more anxious.
网上购物已经成为她缓解日常焦虑的一种方式，有时黄女士的花呗账单会累积到数千美元，这只会让她更加焦虑。
——《纽约时报》
详细用法
动词 “soothe” 的用法：
- Soothe the pain – 缓解疼痛
- The doctor prescribed medication to soothe the patient’s pain.（医生开了药来缓解病人的疼痛。）
- Soothe a crying baby – 安抚哭泣的婴儿
- The mother gently rocked the baby to soothe her crying.（母亲轻轻地摇晃婴儿来安抚她的哭泣。）
- Soothe a troubled mind – 安抚心绪不宁
- Taking a walk in nature can help soothe a troubled mind.（在大自然中散步有助于安抚心绪不宁。）
- Soothe the nerves – 安抚神经
- The calming music helped soothe her frayed nerves.（宁静的音乐帮助安抚她疲惫不堪的神经。）
- Soothe the soul – 安抚灵魂
- Spending time in meditation can soothe the soul and bring inner peace.（沉浸在冥想中可以安抚灵魂，带来内心的平静。）
- Soothe a sunburn – 缓解晒伤
- Applying aloe vera gel can soothe a sunburn and reduce redness.（涂抹芦荟胶可以缓解晒伤，减少红肿。）
- Soothe an upset stomach – 缓解胃不适
- Drinking chamomile tea can help soothe an upset stomach.（喝洋甘菊茶有助于缓解胃不适。）
- Soothe anxiety – 缓解焦虑
- Deep breathing exercises can help soothe anxiety and promote relaxation.（深呼吸练习可以帮助缓解焦虑，促进放松。）
- Soothe a headache – 缓解头痛
- Applying a cold compress to the forehead can soothe a headache.（在额头上敷冷敷可以缓解头痛。）
- Soothe aching muscles – 缓解肌肉疼痛
- Massaging the affected area can help soothe aching muscles.（按摩患处可以帮助缓解肌肉疼痛。）
常见短语
与 “soothe” 相关的短语：
- Soothe the pain – 缓解疼痛
- Soothe a crying baby – 安抚哭泣的婴儿
- Soothe a troubled mind – 安抚心绪不宁
- Soothe the nerves – 安抚神经
- Soothe the soul – 安抚灵魂
- Soothe a sunburn – 缓解晒伤
- Soothe an upset stomach – 缓解胃不适
- Soothe anxiety – 缓解焦虑
- Soothe a headache – 缓解头痛
- Soothe aching muscles – 缓解肌肉疼痛
- Soothe dry skin – 缓解干燥的皮肤
- Soothe a sore throat – 缓解喉咙痛
- Soothe an irritated eye – 缓解刺激的眼睛
- Soothe a broken heart – 安抚伤透的心
- Soothe the mind – 安抚心灵
- Soothe a sunburned skin – 缓解被晒伤的皮肤
- Soothe a restless child – 安抚不安的孩子
- Soothe muscle tension – 缓解肌肉紧张
- Soothe a bruise – 缓解淤血
- Soothe an irritated throat – 缓解受刺激的喉咙
- Soothe emotional distress – 缓解情绪困扰
- Soothe a nagging cough – 缓解令人烦恼的咳嗽
- Soothe a teething baby – 安抚长牙的婴儿
- Soothe a restless mind – 安抚不安的心绪
- Soothe a sunburned face – 缓解被晒伤的脸
- Soothe a bee sting – 缓解被蜜蜂蜇伤
- Soothe a racing heart – 缓解心跳加快
- Soothe frayed nerves – 安抚磨损的神经
- Soothe a dry throat – 缓解干燥的喉咙
- Soothe emotional pain – 缓解情感痛苦
同近义词
lull: calm or send to sleep, typically with soothing sounds or movements
assuage: to make unpleasant feelings less strong
pacify: quell the anger, agitation, or excitement of
